Planetside Software Forums

General => Terragen Discussion => Topic started by: FrankThomas on January 01, 2007, 02:19:56 PM

Title: Rotating whole populations
Post by: FrankThomas on January 01, 2007, 02:19:56 PM
is there a way of rotating an entire population through an angle ?

Supposing I have a single line of trees that are heading at 30deg and I want to rotate them 90deg Clockwise - is there a way of doing it without rotating the landscape ?
Title: Re: Rotating whole populations
Post by: Irmisato on January 01, 2007, 06:32:16 PM
Yes, you can.

Click on the Object-Population (for Example /Pop CL02mFir.tgo) to select the population which you want to turn, then look at "Object Maker", there is a Button with three points (...). Here you can select the Object, "go to CL02mFir.tgo". Now you have under "Transform" the possibility of Rotation, and it will rotate only the Population.
Title: Re: Rotating whole populations
Post by: swiftstream on January 02, 2007, 12:02:05 AM
Irmisato's method will rotate each tree individually, but not the whole population as a unit.

AFAIK, this is not currently possible, and Oshyan/JavaJones has said as much as well. You can use a density shader (image overlay or whatever), but other than that I think you are out of luck.
Title: Re: Rotating whole populations
Post by: Irmisato on January 02, 2007, 06:51:44 AM
Sorry, I was sure, a had rotated a population, but it was only a hopefull wish...
Title: Re: Rotating whole populations
Post by: FrankThomas on January 02, 2007, 02:20:28 PM
I had a horrible feeling that would be the case - oh well, I'm sure I can get round it somehow
Thanks guys :)
Title: Re: Rotating whole populations
Post by: Oshyan on January 04, 2007, 01:51:43 AM
Correct, rotating a population is not currently possible. This should be supported in the future.

- Oshyan
Title: Re: Rotating whole populations
Post by: JimB on January 04, 2007, 04:37:46 AM
Can you use an Image Map Shader to control density of a population instead? Create a rectangle in a larger square in a graphics app, and use that as your Image Map texture controlling the density of the population. If you want to change the rotation then rotate the rectangle within the square in your graphics app, and that should change the population rotation in TG2? Not tried it, but it might be worth worth giving it a shot.
Title: Re: Rotating whole populations
Post by: Oshyan on January 04, 2007, 08:36:27 PM
That would more or less work but it's not the same as rotating the population of course. Doing that ought (in theory) to rotate all objects with it, and maintain absolute instance distribution. Whereas rotating an image map won't. Dependin gon how much accuracy is desired it should be fine though.

- Oshyan
Title: Re: Rotating whole populations
Post by: FrankThomas on January 04, 2007, 09:25:05 PM
I'll give that a try then - currently messing round with power fractal shaders as the colour input to a surface shader to try and get better looking grassy fields - I think I might have cracked it :)
Title: Re: Rotating whole populations
Post by: JimB on January 04, 2007, 10:58:46 PM
Quote from: JavaJones on January 04, 2007, 08:36:27 PM
That would more or less work but it's not the same as rotating the population of course. Doing that ought (in theory) to rotate all objects with it, and maintain absolute instance distribution. Whereas rotating an image map won't. Dependin gon how much accuracy is desired it should be fine though.

The decider would be if you want distribution based on slope, altitude, etc, or if you want the exact pattern. I'd personally opt for the former for more realism, if we're talking about, say, trees.
Title: Re: Rotating whole populations
Post by: Kranky on April 19, 2009, 08:45:59 AM
I need to rotate a population, too (rock population on disc for planetary rings, which I'm trying to animate). Is it possible to rotate the population with functions? Or is it still impossible / does nobody knows, how to do that?
Title: Re: Rotating whole populations
Post by: buzzzzz1 on April 19, 2009, 08:56:12 AM
Not sure if it would work but here's a Tutorial for rotating terrains  http://en.tgblog.de/?p=29 (http://en.tgblog.de/?p=29)  Might also work with Populations? Just a thought.
Title: Re: Rotating whole populations
Post by: Oshyan on April 19, 2009, 11:08:00 PM
Nothing has changed as far as TG2 functionality in this regard, but there may be workarounds as Buzzzz mentioned.

- Oshyan
Title: Re: Rotating whole populations
Post by: Kranky on April 20, 2009, 04:12:27 AM
In the workaround the size of the terrain changes. I think it will be hard to get a smooth rotation of the population around the center.